PARENTS

We are delighted to announce that a team of Economics students from the Upper Sixth has been placed as runner-up in this year's national Challenge the Chancellor Competition. The Economics department at Malvern St James has an amazing record of success in this prestigious competition, being national winners three times in the last six years. This is a testament to the enthusiasm, creativity and ability of our students.

The team, comprising Lizzie Utting, Alex Miller and Evgeniya Malina, were invited to London to receive their prizes from David Gauke MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, at a ceremony held in The Travellers Club.

The competition is organised annually by The Chartered Institute of Taxation. Its two main objectives are to raise commercial awareness in schools, particularly in relation to taxation policy, and to increase understanding of the possibilities of a career in taxation. The students are challenged to think of a new tax policy which they would like the Chancellor to include in the Budget and write an article suitable for publication in the newspapers explaining and defending the new policy. This includes an analysis of the policy, such as how the tax is to be calculated, who should pay it and what benefits it should bring about.

The judges are particularly interested to see originality in the proposal in addition to depth and quality of reasoning. This year our team proposed the novel idea of a tax on high heeled footwear, citing the damage it does to the feet and the cost that this imposes on both the individual and the National Health Service. Their proposal contained some unique and interesting research on buying habits, along with some scientific research on the medical impact of heels on the foot. Their aim was to discourage the purchase of very high heels, whilst also raising tax revenue for the Health Service.